What I Wore on the Last Day of New York Fashion Week SS14
New York Fashion Week may seem really glamorous and fun to all those who haven’t experienced it but, for industry insiders, it’s a bit reminiscent of final exams season in college. I still have nightmares involving my finals at Harvard, horrific cinematic montages involving me writing furiously inside those flimsy blue books, glimpsing over at the clock to make sure I wasn’t taking too long answering each essay question, then finally passing out — still in my chair in an auditorium-like space — the moment I finished the exam. I also remember the 10-or-so days of sleepless nights I spent with my roommates Yvonne and Thembi, all three of us holed up in the science library or the law library, Thembi and I sneaking in bags of those tasty but foul-smelling Snyders of Hanover Honey Mustard Onion Pretzel Pieces (side note: we weren’t slick at all since they managed to stink up the entire library). Well, NYFW is similarly stressful. Bloggers, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, production assistants, photographers, publicists, and journalists are constantly playing beat-the-clock, moving from one locale to the next and hoping the stars align so they can make it on time (no subway delays, no insane traffic, and so forth); bypassing food in favor of protein bars; chugging coffee and tea so they can stay awake and alert despite getting only three to four hours of sleep; running all over the city to watch fashion shows only to come back home and write about them for hours on end. New York Fashion Week, then, is just like final exam season except that there are Luna bars in lieu of stinky pretzels and stilettos and dresses instead of sweatpants and sneakers.
Needless to say, after enduring another Fashion Week season, I am exhausted — and, to add insult to injury, I’ve managed to catch the flu and am essentially bedridden. And, unlike when I was in college, there’s no vacation on the horizon.
Anyhow, I wanted to reminisce about one of the greatest parts of NYFW — getting to wear the best pieces in one’s closet — and share the last outfit I wore.
I went for a punk-inspired look, starting with the Topshop Newspaper Print Cutout Dress ($70 at US.Topshop.com), a midi-length dress with a sexy cut-out along the back that falls right above the booty. The dress has a collage-style print reminiscent of the T-shirts worn by The Clash in their glory days, which conveyed the notion of newspaper articles being snipped, their letters cut out and pasted onto blank sheets of paper, rearranged to form new messages, the colors and fonts deliberately miss-matched for a more chaotic feel.
To add even more of a rock ‘n’ roll feel, I accessorized with my Fiona Paxton Silver Necklace, a collar-style necklace with a black leather backing, four horizontal rows of thick silver-toned chains on either side, and, along the center, clusters of round hammered studs arranged into vertical lines, with flowing chain strands placed between these rows, creating a fringed effect. Here’s a close-up of the necklace:
Since the necklace is such a hefty piece, I picked a very simple pair of earrings: the Bing Bang NYC Vivienne Spike Stud Earrings ($48 at Shop.BingBangNYC.com) and then completed the punk look by brushing my hair back and putting on my Scott Hermanas Joy Black spike headband ($44 at ScottHermanas.com) , which features a 2″ wide black leather band with two rows of pointed silver-toned spikes.
In terms of other jewelry, I wore a thick black resin cuff with silver-toned chain details on one hand and, on the other, one hefty and playful ring: the Little Rooms House Ring, which literally makes it look like a miniature house is sitting atop your finger. Check it out:
Last, but not least, I added a biker cool effect with the black Kelsi Dagger Reece Ankle Boots, which feature an open toe, a 5″-tall shaft with a foldover cuff; a zipper running vertically along the center of each boot and nestled in between two rows of eyelets; decorative lacing threaded through these eyelets; and a 3 3/4″ heel. Here’s a shot of the boots:
